SZ: *marks off another day on the calendar*It won't be long...it won't be long until Cross Tag battle comes out…
Z0: And then the real fun shall begin. Oh all the crazy things to come of such an epic crossover.
SZ: Oh ho yeah~ and the banter..oh the banter...and I'm sure some of you are wondering how we'll incorporate that game into this story.
Z0: We have plans. Oh boy do we have plans, mwahahaha!
SZ: As for what said plans are...secret! We want this stuff to be confidential!
Z0: Yeah by the time it comes out, we'll have a lot more chapters done here, and hopefully things set up for the big event we have planned. And since we ain't telling you any details yet...I'm gonna evil laugh some more. Mwahahaha
SZ:...in the meantime...we do not own anything in this story aside fom maybe some OCs. Now...let's crank it up!
Sento: Genius Physicist Sento Kiryu here for another recap! Last time Ryuga lost his one true love and was left a broken man crying at the loss of his lover.
Ryuga: Don't make me out like some kind of emo kid!
Sento: But you were sad. You did cry...and you…
Ryuga: Stop reminding me, nerd!
Sento: It's not like I'm doing it like that on purpose. I have to recap last time perfectly. Where was I? Ah yes! And then I, the handsome genius hero of the story, comes in to save the day!
Ragna: That's total fiction!
Sento: Is it? Is it really?
Ragna: Egomaniac…
Sento: As I was saying…
Noel: After the incident with the late Kasumi-san, we all returned home in order to prepare for whatever new events would unfold. But first, we need to look into the plot surrounding Banjou-san. Which sadly is easier said than done. He sadly lacks proper description skills...no offence.
Ryuga: Eh...I'm not even sure what that meant.
Sento: Baka…
Makoto: Begin the third instalment~!
Sento: AH! You took it again!
"Ugh...bored…" Ryuga muttered as he rested his head on the table.
"Well, you could go out to the movies...oh no wait…" Isurugi stopped himself, "Did...not think that one through."
"Ya think?" Ryuga deadpanned.
"Hmm...maybe Sento…"
"No."
"You're gonna have to learn to live with him, boy...Like it or not, he's your partner in crime now."
"How many times do I gotta say I AM NOT A CRIMINAL?!" Ryuga shouted; suddenly a charging sound was heard before a wad of green goo hit his face, covering up his mouth, "MMM!-!" he panicked.
"Much better," Sento smiled while putting down a modified water gun that fired said goop, "Later, Master. Me and Noel have work today." he spoke, grabbing his trenchcoat that held all of his things like a wearable backpack.
"Stay safe!"
"Mmm!-!-!" Ryuga grunted, flailing around.
"It dissolves in water." Isurugi revealed as Ryuga quickly ran and dunked his head in the sink.
"Bah!" Ryuga gasped as he pulled his head out, "Ahh...ahh...freakin' psycho!"
"...Maybe you should head to the gym to let some steam out…"
"I...wait. This place has a gym?"
"Sento...likes to dig...and build. Hence the name Kamen Rider Build." he replied, "He's been adding more and more additions to this underground complex for months. At this point, this is the penthouse of an underground building." Isurugi revealed, "My room is up here, Sento, Ragna and Noel all have rooms down below."
"And a gym?"
"Yes, a gym," He sighed, "Go at it, blow off some steam on the self adjusting punching bag."
"Yes…" he smiled, crawling through the door/mini-fridge.
"...Holy crap. He really did build a gym…" Ryuga whispered with wide eyes as he looked at the fairly large gym room, "Dibs! This is my room now!-!" he shouted.
"Here's hoping that idiot doesn't break something at home." Sento muttered as he and Noel entered their place of employment.
"I...I'm sure he's… Okay, maybe he might…" Noel admitted with a whisper.
"Exactly." Sento nodded, "Hopefully, Master just dumps him in the gym and he uses all that energy on the unbreakable punching bag."
"That's what they said before Makoto ended up sending the school gym's punching bag into the atmosphere…" Noel whispered.
"We agree that we don't tell her it's unbreakable…" Sento spoke quickly.
"Hai," Noel nodded rapidly at that.
"Alright, I need to go deal with an annoying boss lady." Sento sighed, "Try not to shoot anybody by mistake again!"
"...Mmm...one time…" Noel blushed in embarrassment as she walked off.
Sento made his way to the science division once again. He typed his entrance code to the door upon arrival and walked in. He walked past several of his coworkers who were hard at work making machines function; some just ran tests off the numbers they could safely gather from Pandora's box. Sento stopped next to some lab techs working on a machine they could not start. He sighed as he took the tools from the one who seemed to be in charge and tinkered with the machine...before it began powering up. Sento smirked and gave them back the tools. The lab techs gawked at that as they checked the machine.
"You're welcome." Sento smirked.
"Uh...but no one said thank you." One girl spoke.
"You're. Welcome." he repeated, they walked right into it like he expected.
"...Wow. Talk about an ego…"
"Hey, it works now, right?" one of them offered, "At least now the boss won't yell at us."
"True."
"Everyone seems to enjoy talking about this secret boss lady, but I have yet to physically see her." Sento muttered to himself as he walked down the halls, "That's not creepy at all…" He then approached the door the same metal door he came across the first day he came here, giving it a knock a few times.
=Who is it?=
"Oi, mystery voice!" Sento called out as he held up a capture bottle inside of a plastic bag, "Let's have a little talk."
=...Come in= the voice answered as the door slid open.
"I got your Smash sample. And before you ask how, I know you know. It's easy as far as I see it. Everyone in this town who knows about the weird stuff must know about the Smash. Especially the smart folks. Hell walking through that hall I heard half your undergrads and interns talk about the Devil Scientist and his work like some kinda boogeyman...or hero in some cases." Sento began talking as he walked in, "As for how I know...well, I have amnesia and right now all I'm good for is...collecting these." he held up the capture bottle.
"..."
"Seems I caught your ate-" Sento began before the bottle suddenly vanished, "What the?!"
"Interesting...So this is supposed to keep Smash essence and Seither in check…"
"Wow. You're fast…" Sento whistled.
"Hey. You presented something I've been studying for quite a while...how do you think I was gonna react?" the figure answered.
The figure in question was a woman with pink hair...with pink cat ears and a tail that split at the end. She wore a white labcoat that had just had three buttons connected to cover her small bust with extra long sleeves that ended in comical-sized cat paws with slits to let her have her hands out of them. Her belly button was exposed while she wore tight red pants that ended between her knees and her ankles with strap sandals on her feet. Her golden eyes were covered by a pair of glasses.
"That's fair." Sento nodded, "So you're the annoyance the dude who looks like Oda Nobunaga goes on about. Kokonoe."
"Yup. And so far, you're the only person to make me stop my current project," the cat woman answered as she examined the bottle.
"I figured I might be able to get something out of this besides a paycheck." Sento went on, "Your clearly the smartest person here besides the Cyborg. He was able to understand my complaints about how east the test was, so I imagine the guy must be on the higher levels of the genius scale."
"Meh. You could say that," Kokonoe waved off as she put the bottle down.
"Be careful. That thing looks likes it's gonna pop for a reason. If the cap is twisted and aligned, whatever was inside comes out. And that bottle holds the essence from a real nasty Smash that enjoys stabbing things." Sento spoke up.
"I see...How did you immobilize it? Did you use something to break its needles or did you attack it from a distance while using something hard and metal for cover?"
"I sicked a squirrel girl on it." Sento simplified, "After she damaged it enough, I used an empty bottle…" he muttered, pulling one out for an example, "...and absorbed the element, reverting the host to human form."
"Huh...so you sicced Nanaya on it. Good call," Kokonoe admitted.
"I just told her what to avoid and how to take it down fast." Sento explained, "First and foremost, this is called a Full bottle, I didn't name it. I just know how to produce em and roll with the names the maker already had for em." he explained, "They can hold the element that can then be purified for something more...useful." he explained, shaking his rabbit bottle as he appeared at different spots of the room as a blur.
"Oh...so the purified versions can give humans enhanced abilities?" she asked in interest as Sento stopped running around.
"And so far no negative effects. Like sending you on a murderous rampage." Sento elborated, "Trust me, I've had more than a reason to over a few months now...and so far nothing but the dark fantasies in my dreams."
"So...safe for use as well. This is all amazing. So why are you telling me all this? A genius egomaniac like you must not want to share a nobel prize anytime soon." Kokonoe spoke in interest, "So...what are you trying to get out of this here?"
"I've been limited to jury rigged tech and equipment. I made the purification chamber out of scrap titanium. If I want to find out who I am...these bottles are my clues. And I need the good stuff to work with."
"...soka," Koknoe noted, "So you're here to pay me off to let you borrow the good equipment."
"I was going for bribe, but sure." Sento smiled, "I figure you just need some of my notes to begin replicating the progress. But...you don't have the tools to make the bottles purified like I do. I'm not proud of the methods, but a man has to do what a man has to do."
"...eh. Fair enough," Kokonoe shrugged, "Regardless...not a bad job."
"I've been doing this for as long as I can remember, which is a year by the way. I had to pick up the knack or end up monster food." Sento muttered.
"Why would the first thing you do be fight monsters?"
"Eh...it was either that or eat cooking which looked poisonous...I picked the lesser of two evils." Sento shrugged.
"That just raises more questions about you." she muttered in annoyance.
"Welcome to my freakin world." he replied also annoyed.
"...Noted...hold that thought…" Kokonoe raised a finger as he went to a computer, "Nanaya, do you read me?"
=Read ya=
"Good. You got the 'package'?"
=Yup...even though I had to get it from...ugh...him…=Makoto groaned.
"Oh suck it up."
=He was drunk and tried to grope me...AGAIN!=
"I can't rightly do much to prevent that. If he wants to get plastered, it's his business." she replied before hearing sounds in the background, "What are you doing?"
"I fixed this machine!" Sento shouted as he was plugging a machine in as it turned on, "There. Your teleporter is working...and I reduced the energy drain and increases its range up to triple."
"What?! Y-" Kokonoe began before she noticed the readings, "..."
"Told you I was a genius." Sento smirked, "Also...I fixed the return function."
"...Jealous. I am honestly a bit jealous of you right now...but not that much."
"You can see why my landlord told me to get a job." Sento shrugged, "Got anything else needs fixing?" he asked, pulling out a set of tools, "I spy a matter altering 3D printer!" he smiled, blurring off with a red trail, "I'm gonna make this thing print gold!"
"Don't you dare touch the pod near it!"
"Eh, I'm not much for genetics." Sento spoke as he ducked under the machine, "Oho...this thing is coupled through to a mass energy converter! Oh to be surrounded by intelligence, this place must be heaven."
"Good lord... What demon did they dump on us?" Kokonoe asked as Sento blurred around upgrading machines.
"Huh...that was weird. Sounded like Sento in the background." Makoto blinked before shrugging, "Meh. Probably making something if it was him. Now...back to delivering the 'package' to Tager...What was the code word again? Mu...Gnu…?...Oh this is gonna bug me...I should've taken the offer and stuck with Ryuga today." she groaned, "Think...think…" she grumbled, walking forward towards her destination which was a rather large museum. "Ah mou! Why can't I remember a simple code word?! Ugh...Tsubaki would scold me for something like this..."
Makoto took a moment to recollect herself as she carefully thought out and remembered what she was told. As she walked through the museum, she walked past a few exhibits, some depicting Dinosaur skeletons while a few showed off the history of the world. Many of the exhibits were from before the Sky Wall had risen up. It was a fond reminder of simpler times before things beyond comprehension came to this world. Before giant monsters that blotted out the sky and before people discovered how to freely harness what could only be called 'magic' by many. Not many people alive today can remember much of the time, so everyone has learned to accept the world as it is now. A world divided into three and the very uneasy tension between them. Makoto stopped at one of the more modern displays, by that, it was a painting of the events that happened as a result of the sky wall.
"...So much has changed since that day…" Makoto whispered, her ears drooping a bit, "And yet...some things remain the same…"
Even with how far things have come...some people would treat her kind...no, all Beastkin like their nothing but trash, like they don't deserve to be among them. In spite of all the things the word has gone through...those dark thoughts refuse to die out. It was a truth not many cared for, but in the same vain one not many wanted to change either. But that doesn't make it any easier for those who suffer this unfair persecution to live with it.
"Man...that painting sucks…" Ryuga's voice spoke as Makoto blinked to see him dressed up as a janitor, "Yo."
"...How…?" Makoto began.
"Turns out sticking on a fake handlebar mustache and no one can tell it me." he explained, pulling out the fake facial hair in question, "That and you'd be surprised how many people let a dude dressed as a janitor in through the back door." he smiled, "Ah, you're wondering why I'm here? ...I got bored of hitting the weights and realized my super strength got stronger…" he muttered, "Which is weird...cause I swear even before my limit was 200...but now I can pick it up one handed...hehe...ah...I broke so much stuff."
"Okay...but why here? You don't strike me as the type who enjoys museums."
"Oh hell no!" he laughed, "But...eh...Kasumi liked this place." he sighed, "Also I spotted you rambling like a confused crazy lady and walk in here...I figured something might happen here."
"Oh...well..I ended up forgetting something, but…" Makoto paused as her ears drooped further, "I remembered how poorly people treat Beastkin…"
"People are jerks." Ryuga shrugged, "I can't say I know why people think like that." he added, "Let's just hope some folks learn to move on."
"...You've never met the ones I did when I was a kid…" Makoto whispered.
"True...I probably would have beat em up." Ryuga shrugged, "Never liked bullies as a kid. Well, I liked hitting them…" he shrugged in indifference.
"...wait. Seriously?"
"What...I use to be short. Then boom growth spurt, and suddenly those bullies felt different about picking on me." he explained, "My folks died when I was young so for a long time I had to learn to defend myself."
"Oh…sorry."
"Eh...what's done is done." he sighed, "Right now...I want to prove my innocence...find that bat guy...deck him so hard he can't walk right...then...I don't know…" he sighed rubbing his neck, "Truth be told... without Kasumi, not much I personally want to do. Guess I'll go on a trip around the world."
"What, like a traveling biker riding on the wind?" Makoto smiled jokingly.
"They make flying bikes?" Ryuga asked.
"Yup, but the NOL is using them as a last minute resort for any airborne enemies."
"God damn it...keeping all the good stuff to themselves." Ryuga mumbled.
"Well they fail over the Sky Wall so they aren't perfect." Makoto added with a shrug, "So far no one gets why that thing fries any tech that passes over the red light."
"Heh...so they're not claiming to be perfect after all," Ryuga smirked at that, "Well...whatever. I'll find something for myself when this is all done."
"Maybe you'll end up getting a driver of your own," Makoto joked playfully.
"Yeah..becoming...oh! Kamen Rider Drago!...No no..that feels trademarked somehow…" Ryuga muttered a bit, "Oh! Kamen Rider Ryusei...Kamen Rider Ryuoh...Kamen Rider Blood Dragon!"
"Yeesh...I was just joking. Didn't mean to branch it out like that…" Makoto muttered with a small sweatdrop.
"What? Those are cool names. What would you call yourself if you were a Kamen Rider?" Ryuga countered.
"Oh that's easy. Kamen Rider Nova," Makoto giggled a bit.
"...shit. That sounds much better than mine," Ryuga slumped a bit.
"Hahaha...better luck next time." she smirked patting his shoulder.
"Heh…" he laughed back, "I'll think of a badass name eventually."
"I'm sure you will," Makoto chuckled.
"...You know? You're not a pretty bad person to hang out with," Ryuga admitted, making Makoto blink a bit.
"Oh...why th-" Makoto began, a slight blush on her cheeks.
"But you're still not my type."
"Gh?!" Makoto tensed as she nearly face faulted, 'And he just ruined the moment…'
"I'm just messing with ya…" he smirked, "You're a good friend. But my heart will always be for Kasumi. I'm sorry I made you pissed off that time." he explained, "That and I'm sure if I ever moved on, she'd haunt me. I am stubborn and brave...but this guy don't do ghosts...no no no!"
"Can you ever finish a sentence with one mood?" she asked bluntly.
"My Mom always asked the same thing…" he muttered.
"...You had a very weird childhood growing up, didn't you?"
"Did you?"
Makoto flinched a bit at that, a pained looking on her face as she held her arm.
"Mine wasn't so good either...I only had my mom and pops for a few years…" he revealed, "After that it was...foster care...homes…'till I finished middle school, and someone found I had a knack for hitting other guys 'till they couldn't get up."
"...Which lead you to your fighting career," Makoto figured.
"I was hard to knock out. Coach said my head was like...diamonds." he chuckled tapping his head, "My punches were strong for someone slim like me." he went on, "It was a way out...then one day after I took a blow from some...giant dude, I wake up in the hospital and I meet Kasumi."
"Ahh...makes sense," Makoto nodded, "Heh...maybe I should've gone into professional fighting...I did get high score in my physicals in school, and I do throw one mean killer hook."
"Yeah well you also seem to have freaky super strength…" he countered, "Bet there's no weight class where you wouldn't win."
"It feels weird just standing here and talking, doesn't it?"
"Oh thank god you said it first! I half expected one of us to ask some weird deep question." Ryuga laughed, "Like...why are we here? But seriously why here...who does work stuff at a museum? Is it like some spy movie stuff?"
"..." Makoto looked around, making sure no one was listening or spying on them as she whispered, "In a way, yes."
"Wait, what?"
"I'm in the intelligence department, but I'm actually an undercover agent for Kokonoe," Makoto whispered quietly, "She has a pretty big vendetta against the NOL, and brought in a few select people to help take it down from the inside."
"Wow…" he spoke, "Well that's some freakin' great news...oh wait I can't ever tell anyone, huh?"
"Nope, otherwise I'd punch ya straight to the moon...or a moon sized meteor, which I've done before," Makoto smirked, "Even leaves an imprint of my fist on it before it shatters."
"Note to self...do not piss you off on a bad day." he bluntly stated, stepping away to an arm's length.
"Oh relax. Like I'm gonna do that to my friends," Makoto giggled a bit before she noticed a large figure nearby, "Oh shoot! That must be him!"
"Him?"
"The person I'm supposed to meet," Makoto replied as she walked over, "St-stay there and keep quiet."
"He's real big for a person…" he whisper, simply taking a peek as he spotted Makoto approaching a large figure standing before a large fossil of a T-rex.
"You...you're from the Library?" the large figure pondered, "What's an officer of the NOL doing here?"
"Woah~! I thought this thing was huge, but you make it seem merely large," Makoto awed before shaking her head, "Umm, actually, I was looking for something...yeah that's it!"
"Looking for something?" the large figure repeated.
"Yeah, that's it...I'm looking for something," Makoto repeated quietly, "A legendary animal called a Gnu. The Gnu was a creature that roamed the surface of the world long ago, but now they only exist in museums and encyclopedias."
"Gnu?"
"Gnu?" Ryuga repeated.
"Yeah. Isn't it nice to learn something 'Gnu?'" Makoto punned, "Anyway, it's a shame that they're all extinct. I bet if you made some sausage fm one, it'd become a 'Gnu' culinary trend!"
"Oh god…" Ryuga groaned leaning against a wall, "Make it stop…"
"...Is that so?" the large figure noted.
"Hai," Makoto nodded.
"...Are you….Gnu?" the large figure asked.
"Perhaps~"
"...I admit, I didn't expect an NOL uniform," the large figure noted before handing something to Makoto, "But with the NOL on high alert at the moment, I suppose it's a good idea not to stand out."
"Heh. Big talk coming from you, big guy," Makoto chuckled as she put the object she was handed in her tail before pulling something out, "Anyway, here's the data."
"Have the puns stopped?!" Ryuga cried from across the room.
"Hmm? What was that?"
"Eh. Probably just the manager," Makoto shrugged while mentally groaning, 'Damn it, Ryuga...if you get us caught and screw this up…'
"...You should be going now, correct?" the large figure asked.
"Hmm? Oh! Hai…" Makoto nodded as she prepared to leave, "Matte...I just have one question, Tager."
"Hmm?"
"Noel Vermillion...you're looking for her, right?"
"Does that mean something?"
"Please answer the question."
"...I am afraid I cannot."
"...Eh. That's fair…" Makoto shrugged before frowning a bit, "But I will say this, Tager-san...If you and Kokonoe have something planned involving her, and she's hurt in anyway...I will make you both pay, regardless of who you two are."
"...Understood…" the large figure nodded.
"Yeah...anyway, enough chit-chat! See ya again, Red Devil-san!" Makoto beamed, doing a complete 180 in her mood as she ran off.
"...Are all women difficult to comprehend?"
"You have no idea, big guy…" Ryuga spoke, walking past him to catch up to Makoto.
"...Hmm?"
Sento sat down, typing at a computer that ran a long series of formulas for an experiment of some kind. He smirked typing away a couple more times as the program ran smoother. Several people awed at how fast he did it before he got up.
"Alright, that should keep you guys from killing yourself or blowing a hole in dimensions...Try not to nuke yourselves though." he told them as they all nodded and began working themselves.
=...Meh. Could've done it faster= Kokonoe scoffed from a small screen next to him.
"You wish, catgirl." Sento spoke, "Anyway, I need to go find the guys who stole my memories...and steal all their technology."
=...If you do, bring me some of it back. I want to tinker around and see how they pull it off...who knows? I might make something interesting out of it= Kokonoe stated.
"Sure, I mean...it's not like you could do worse than making people into walking mutants." Sento shrugged sarcastically.
=Don't push it…= Kokono frowned as the screen went black.
"Yeesh...can't take a joke that woman." Sento muttered, walking out of the science division, "How anyone deals with her is beyond me…"
Sento kept walking down the halls as he pulled out his Build Phone and began checking his messages. No Smash signatures detected, so that was good. Isurugi had sent a message about Ryuga going out in a costume, and then one from Makoto claiming she found him. Well that seemed normal enough all things considered. He then stopped on one from Noel in her search for clues into Ryuga's mystery, she found a few leads on Nabeshima.
"Bingo," Sento smiled, replying to her message.
"So...about that thing with the big guy…" Ryuga began as he and Makoto were heading back to the cafe, "What was that about?"
"Oh that? It was just a info exchange," Makoto shrugged, "And before who ask who he is, he's Tager. He's….how do I put this...he's kinda Kokonoe's errand boy for the tougher situations."
"...breaking big things?" Ryuga asked.
"At times, but mostly checking on areas that seem suspicious."
"So...let me get this straight. This bitchy lady you work for sends that big guy into the places that might get a normal person killed or in major danger...and he's just...okay with it?"
"Yup."
"...Question; how is he even al-"
"Cyborg."
"Eh?"
"He's...kinda a cyborg in a sense," Makoto answered.
"...Cyborg? The guy looked more like a demon from what I managed to see!" Ryuga exclaimed.
"Why do you think he's known as 'The Red Devil of Sector 7'?" Makoto grinned a bit.
"That's a metal as hell codename…" Ryuga admitted.
"I know right?!" Makoto laughed a bit, "I've been thinking that, but no one has even brought it up until you said it!"
"So let me get this right...you're a spy...and you work to take down the NOL from the inside as part of some super secret organization." Ryuga spoke up, listing all he had been able to process and memorize..
"That's right."
"...Question then."
"Fire away, Ryu."
"If you're a spy...then why even wear that battle outfit of yours?"
"?!" Makoto nearly facefaulted at that, "Seriously...THAT'S what you ask? I...oh for, I told you last time, it's to help me move around faster!"
"I can understand that...but you can't have this genius lady make you an outfit that does that and doesn't raise as many questions?" Ryuga asked.
"I...well that's…"
"...You never even thought to ask, did you?"
"..I...well….shoot you're right…" Makoto slumped.
"Haha! Not so dumb now, huh!?" Ryuga cheered.
"No, you're still plenty dumb." Sento spoke, spooking them both as they turned to see him and Noel on his bike, "But you seem to have common sense." he chuckled dismounting, "Also Makoto, your boss says job well done."
"Phew…good to know..." Makoto sighed in relief, "...This calls for a victory meal! To the nearest all you can eat!"
"We still need to solve Banjou's mystery." Sento spoke, "Noel got us some leads on Nabeshima." he held up a file of information, "Let's order take out." he offered a counter option, "On a certain someone who was top shocked at my work to notice my borrowing something of hers." he smirked, holding up a credit card with a mischievous smirk.
"...is that…?"
"Yes….yes it is..." Sento smirked, "Consider it compensation for making her teleporter work...and not scramble people's DNA. Who wants Chinese?!" he cheered.
"Oh! I got the perfect place in mind!" Makoto beamed.
"Yahoo!" Sento and Makoto laughed.
"Y-you sure that's a good idea, Sento-san?" Noel whispered.
"Oh relax. What's the worst that could happen?" Sento asked as they all walked off, Ryuga coming back out after changing into a Japanese biker costume. His hair slicked back to fit his look.
"The fact the old man has this many costumes already is disturbing." Ryuga muttered, putting shades over his eyes. As he ran after the others, a pair of red eyes were watching them from the shadows, watching on in curiosity...and hunger.
"Ugh...bored…" Ragna groaned, sitting at a table in the cafe as he looked at the ceiling.
"You're still here?" Isurugi asked cleaning a mug, "I figured you joined the rest of the trouble crew when they left to go get all they can eat take out."
"Wait, what?!" Ragna shot up at that, "They….damn it, Sento!"
"If I were you, I'd hurry after them before they finish," he laughed, "I get the feeling that cute little Makoto could eat a man out of house and home...did you see what she did to our pantry?"
"..." Ragna said nothing as he ran out of there.
"Ha! I was just kidding about the pantry…" Isurugi chuckled as he opened the pantry, only to find it was empty, "..." he then saw a note reading [Thanks for the snacks Old man- Ryuga], "RYUGA!-!-!-!" he shouted, falling to his knees, "I really wanted a snowball…" he sobbed.
"Oh...fancy..." Ryuga muttered as they made it to their destination, a oriental/chinese style restaurant.
"Best place in all of Orient Town," Makoto grinned, "Trust me, their Lo mein and desserts are to die for~!"
"That I'll be the judge of," Sento stated before walking up to a woman in a chinese dress, "Excuse me, miss?"
"Hmm?"
"Table for four please for the All you can eat?"
"Ahh...very lucky. You four have the last table for four," the lady smiled, "Please, follow me. Your plates will be at your ta..."
*WHOSH!*
"...ble?" the woman blinked, seeing a pair of dust clouds resembling Ryuga and Makoto.
"Oh dear…" Noel whispered in worry, "Not good…"
"...Explain," Sento ordered.
"W...well...during second year, me and my friends went to an all you can eat restaurant for finishing a test and...well…" Noel paused as she sighed a bit, "Makoto...ended up eating them out of house and home."
"...You're exaggerating…" Sento deadpanned as the two began walking to their table.
"I'm not."
"Oh please...y-DEAR GOD WOMAN!"
Reason for this exclamation...both Ryuga and Makoto were currently chowing down on multiple plates full of various foods, Makoto having more plates than Ryuga as she was currently chowing down on some house special lo mein.
"...see?" Noel sighed, noticing the gawking expression on Sento's face.
"I...I stand corrected." he grumbled, "It's on a friend's card." he offered their means of payment, "Take some extra for...whatever happens."
"Ahh...thank you," the waitress smiled as she took the card, "I'll hand you the check and give your card back once you're all done eating."
"Trust me..we may be here for a while…" Sento deadpanned as he walked over to the table, "Oi, gluttons!"
"Hmm?" Makoto blinked, gulping down some dumplings as she looked over, "Oh! Hey, Sento. About time ya joined us."
"About t-woman, you are eating a week's worth of food right now!"
"...So?" Makoto blinked, "Beastkin have high metabolism, and trust me...everyone in my family likes to eat…"
"I need protein!" Ryuga spoke through a full mouth.
"Oh for the love of...Swallow!" Sento ordered as Ryuga slurped up the entire plate of noodles...for about 30 seconds straight until it was all gone.
"I'm not going to the bathroom…." he grimaced, realizing what he did.
"Oh god our food budget…" Sento facepalmed, "Noel...we've taken in someone who eats as much as an anime character...we've adopted a monster."
"Meh. He's more like a dragon," Makoto shrugged before she resumed chowing down on some lo mein.
"...Please tell me there's something left at the buffet for us," Noel begged.
"Mmm hmm," Makoto nodded, using her tail to point at the buffet.
"Oh thank you…" Noel sighed in relief.
"Oh come on. Like we leave you guys o-" Ryuga began before something blurred by, "...what was that?"
"I don't kn-" Makoto began before she noticed something...all their plates, including the ones that still had non-eaten food on them were empty, "AHH! Our food!"
"What?" Ryuga blinked before he took notice, "GAH! Sento, what did you do?!"
"I did nothing. You probably…"
"Aiya! All our dumplings and meat buns are gone!" a waitress exclaimed as a small group were standing in front of the buffet table, "Even the ones we just laid out!"
"What about the kitchen? Surely there i-"
"I just came from there! They're all gone too!"
"NO!-!-!" Ryuga and Makoto shouted.
"We never got to eat, Baka's!" Sento complained smacking them with a menu.
"Hey! We were barely even done before you guys arrived!" Makoto argued.
"BARELY?!"
"Besides, We left food for ya at the buffet!" Ryuga added, "How else do you explain it suddenly going missing, along with the food we didn't eat yet?!"
"..." Sento sighed before he took a ladle out of the buffet and smacked Ryuga upside the head, sending him tumbling down, "Now then, I think we have a food thief to find."
"Ow~" Ryuga groaned, nursing the steaming bump on his head.
"Now..let's just find out how t-" Sento began.
"Excuse me sir? Your card was declined."
"Wait, what?" Sento blinked as the waitress from before handed him the card, "That can't be right. I…" he then noticed a small text on the card reading 'touch I.D. For Kokonoe's hands only,' "...sneaky cat…" he whispered, "I am going to get her back so good for this...ohoho…" he laughed as the waitress backed up a step.
"So now what?" Noel asked.
"Oh, I can pay. That was just to mess with Kokonoe." Sento explained as he pulled out a wallet, "Lets see...diamond...diamond...ah, there's my card." he said pulling out a solid gold card.
"...you have a…"
"Unlimited card? Yes...yes I do…"
"...Oh I am gonna enjoy hanging out with you, Sen…" Makoto grinned happily.
"It helps I have an...unlimited supply of diamonds to cash in." Sento muttered, "Now..to pay for this a-"
"AHH! Dine and Dasher!"
"...Now what…?" Ryuga groaned before he noticed Ragna running out, "...Was that Ragna?"
"..."
"Ugh...Why am I the one with accountability for that idiot?" Sento groaned as he put some diamonds on the table making the cashier have a panic attack as he realized it was authentic and big as a golfball, "Come on...let's go get him before he does something else reckless…"
"H-hai/oh yeah/Eh. Why not?" Noel, Makoto, and Ryuga replied as they began to chase after Ragna.
"Ugh...damn cat…" Ragna muttered as he ran back to the cafe, "I finally caught up to the others, and she drags me to feeding her big mouth...AGAIN."
"Home already? What happened, run into a disgruntled ex?" Isurugi asked as he read a novel in a corner of the shop while a record player played jazz music. He was even dressed in comfortable red robes as he relaxed in a fancy recliner.
"No. I ran into a…"
"RAGNA!"
"Oh great..now I got Sento on my ass…" Ragna muttered as he turned, "What?!" he then stopped as Sento aimed his firearm right at his face, making him freak for a second.
"We have some questions." Sento explained slotting the Harenezumi bottle into the DrillCrusher, "Or would you rather we go for some acupuncture?"
"...I have a very good reason."
"Oh really...do tell." Makoto added
"...I was coming to meet you guys, and I ran into an….acquaintance of mine…"
"Uh huh…"
"Problem is, whenever I 'treat' her to some food, I'm always left with the impossibly high bill, so...I did what I usually do when she gets me in that situation…"
"Dine and dash?" Noel guessed.
"Yup."
"...You know I literally have a bucket of diamonds downstairs called 'our money supply' in sparkling glitter letters...said glitter being made of crushed diamonds…" Sento reminded.
"How do you think I paid for this leather lazy boy!?" Isurugi cheered.
"...Okay, I did try to pay for it, but the bill was too high! Plus...didn't help there was some bounty hunters in there too," Ragna admitted.
"...I'll bite. Who is this acquaintance of yours?"
"...A very annoying and energetic Kaka Clan member."
"..."
"...Why are you giving me that look?! I'm telling ya the truth!" Ragna snapped.
"Uh-huh...like the little vampire girl whom I've never caught visiting you?" Sento asked.
"She is real damn it!"
"Oh, or how about the time we found you in bandages after losing to a little boy and his giant doll he called sister?"
"That was legit and you know it, you ass!"
"Oh, I know. It's just funny when that vein pops on your forehead." Sento smiled, "Don't worry. I paid your bill with a diamond the size of your currently bugging eyeball. So with any luck it broke even with how much you owed. AND THESE TWO GARBAGE DISPOSALS!"
"Most of which we never got to finish!" Makoto and Ryuga added.
"...She got your food when you weren't looking?"
"Eh?"
"Ugh...god damn it Tao…" Ragna facepalmed before a crash was heard….from Sento's lab, "..."
"...did...did someone just find us out?" Ryuga blinked.
"...Ragna…did you leave the secret entrance to my lab open again?"
"Fuck no! Also, why go directly to me?!"
"I am sneaky...I am sneaky…" Isurugi spoke trying to sneak past the younger adults and towards the stairs leading to his apartment room above the shop, "Nobody will know I left it open by accident when cleaning...and no one will be the wiser…just need t-"
"Noel…" Sento spoke.
"H-hai, Sento-san?"
"Did you leave it open?"
"EH?! N-no!"
"...Makoto?"
"Nope. But…" Makoto began before her tail grabbed Isurugi before he could run past them, "You may want to ask him."
"Gh?!"
"Master?!" Sento asked, seemingly hurt.
"It was an accident! I was cleaning! I was distracted by my mail order for my Playboy robe...I'm just a man!-!" Isurugi exclaimed.
"...And?"
"...I was the one who ate that chestnut parfait that was in the back of the fridge."
"What?!" Makoto snapped before slumping, "Oh man...I was saving that for dessert~"
"You've gotten too use to hanging out here…" Sento muttered.
"It had a surprisingly nutmeg like flavor…" Isurugi kept babbling.
"Welp...Master's broken." Ragna muttered.
"...You," Sento spoke, pointing at Isurugi, "Wait up here to keep an eye on the door. The rest of you…" he pointed at the others, "Follow me. Noel, stay in the back. We may need your gun skills."
The four young adults sneaked down the stairs to the lower levels of their base of operations. Sento walked ahead with his Drill Crusher aiming around the corner. Once they reached the bottom, Sento slowly opened the door...to be greeted with the sight of a complete mess.
"...MY LAB!"
"MY BED!" Ryuga and Ragna exclaimed, seeing the torn up pair of beds in the room.
"Who cares?! Look at my lab!" Sento exclaimed as he ran in, "AH! My 3D printer! That took me a long time t-MY COMPUTER!"
"I had a nice soft bed after a year of painful prison springs and iron base...it was like a cloud of cotton candy…" Ryuga sobbed.
"...claw marks…" Ragna muttered, noticing what looked like claw marks on the bed, "...God...damn it, Tao…"
"Wow...I'm glad I don't live here." Makoto spoke, "Too...too soon?" she asked Noel; who nodded with the most deadpan face she could give, "...Yeah. Too soon…"
"...St-still, what do you think caused all this?" Noel pondered, the two unaware of something slowly approaching them from behind.
"Dunno. But whoever it is, th-"
*GROPE*
"AHH~!"
The three men in the room quickly turned and looked right at the girls, a figure standing behind Makoto as they...rubbed her assets.
"Ohh~ Fluffy girl's got big boobies, almost as big as the Boobie Lady's, nya~!"
"What th- get off me!" Makoto snapped as she tried punching the figure, who leapt out from behind her and landed on top of what remained of a desk.
The figure seemed to be a catgirl wearing a beige-colored hooded jacket with two long tied-up blonde pigtails sticking out of the hooded part, a black furred cat tail sticking out the back while her hands and arms were covered in overly sized- cat-themed sleeves.. One thing Sento and Ryuga took notice was they couldn't see her face..only a pair of red eyes and a fanged cheshire cat-like smile.
"Oh my god...you weren't bullshitting me Ragna...I owe you...one free anything." Sento spoke.
"I'll hold ya to that…" Ragna muttered.
"Hmm?" the cat girl blinked as she looked at Ragna, "Oh! Hi, Good Guy, nya!"
"Damn it, Tao! How'd you even get in here!?"
"Oh! Old nice man left the door open, and Tao just snuck in and wanted to see what was inside," the catgirl, apparently named Tao answered before pouting a bit, "No food or anything in here aside from those cream puffs I found, meow…"
"Hey...I was hiding those for my own snack time!" Ryuga complained.
"Oh...anymore, nya?"
"Anym-DAMN IT, TAO! You ATE everything in that all you can eat buffet!" Ragna snapped.
"THAT WAS YOU?!" Ryuga and Makoto exclaimed as they glared at the cat girl.
"Yup, but their meatbuns weren't as good as Boobie Lady's!" Tao beamed.
"...did...that sounded wrong to everyone else right?" Sento asked, "It's not just me?"
"Nya?" Tao blinked at that, "What do you mean, pointy hair guy?"
"...eh?"
"She means your ahoge," Ragna explained, "Also don't...just don't bother trying to correct her. She's...bad with names."
"So now I'm pointy hair guy...yippee." Sento muttered, "What does that make Ryuga, dumb dragon?"
"OI!"
"...Reowga?" Tao repeated.
"Oh, his name she kinda gets!" Ragna and Sento complained.
"Boys...let's backtrack just a step here." Makoto spoke up, "So Tao..what exactly are you doing here aside from raiding our food?"
"...Tao doesn't remember. All I remember is food, nya."
"So...what? This is just what she does?" Sento asked, "Run around the Toto section of Japan causing messes, eating food, and giving people nicknames?"
"More or less…" Ragna shrugged.
"Eh?! Taokaka is more than that, nya!" Tao exclaimed as she shot up, "Tao is a vigilante searching for Rawrgnya!"
"Uhm...does she know that…?" Sento looked a Ragna.
"Wanted poster," Ragna simplified.
"Eh? How…" Ryuga began before Ragna showed him his wanted poster, "..."
"Hm?" Makoto blinked as she looked over at the poster, "...PFFFT! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
"It's not funny!" Ragna complained.
"Hahahaha!" Ryuga laughed, "Dude...you look like someone kicked you in the junk...WHILE you're constipated!"
"Oh yeah...well your's ain't much better." Ragna spoke up, getting his attention.
"Wait what?" Ryuga blinked before Ragna pulled out another wanted poster, "...Is...is that supposed to be me?!" he shouted as it was a close up of his face as he was growling in anger, his nostrils flared out and it made him look...like a monkey mid-screech.
"He is a monkey…" Sento spoke seeing it.
"I AIN'T NO MONKEY!" Ryuga snapped.
"AHAHAHAHAHAH! Oh..oh I can't breath!" Makoto wheezed, kicking her legs into the air as she held her gut.
"Oh come on what is with these things?!" Ryuga complained.
"Sento's isn't that bad." Noel spoke, holding a wanted poster showing Build RabbitTank in his signature pose as if posing for the camera.
"...OH COME ON!" Ryuga and Ragna complained.
"The benefits of a mask." Sento smiled, "I can do all the crazy stuff I want, and I never take a bad picture."
"Lucky asshole…" Ragna muttered.
"I offered you a cool mask but you said no...you didn't like the straps used to keep it on." Sento explained, pulling out a red metallic mask for one's mouth themed after the fangs of an Oni.
"If I wore that, then people would mistake me for Sector Seven's Red Devil!" Ragna argued.
"Oh you mean th-oof!" Ryuga began before Makoto elbowed him into a wall.
"...Fine. Your loss," Sento shrugged, "I need to examine my bottles anyway."
"You mean the bottles Tao just snatched out of curiosity and ran off with while we weren't looking?"
"Yeah. Th-wait, what?"
"Yeah…" Ragna began as Sento rushed off in a red blur, "...poor bastard."
"Eh?" Ryuga blinked a bit.
"Rule number one of dealing with Kaka Clan members...never try and pursue them...It bites you in the ass, both literally and figuratively," Ragna stated.
"Leave him. Let this be karma." Ryuga smiled.
"...Oh massively," Ragna grinned at that.
"Alright..where are you…?" Sento frowned as he looked around for Tao, "You better not have opened those bottles damn it!" he grumbled looking around, "Think. She's one of Ragna's friends...so can't be too bright...Oi, Neko! I got snacks!"
"...Nyo you don't, nya! Tao smelled you just before she left, and you had nothing aside crumbs, nya!" Tao's voice argued.
"Oho...clever kitty." Sento spoke, shaking Rabbit as his ears picked up where her voice was coming from, "Then how about I go get some and trade for the bottles?"
"Mew?"
"You give me the bottles back, and I get you a tasty snack you can't get here in Toto."
"...Can you get Tao Boobie Lady's meatbuns, nya?" Tao asked.
"Boobie lady?" Sento blinked, "Ah...show me who she is first and sure." he offered, "I'll buy as much as I can. Just give me back the bottles."
"...Better! Tao can show you, nya!"
"Wait, wh-WOAH!" Sento yelped as he was suddenly dragged along at high speed.
"Do you think Sento-san is okay?" Noel asked as everyone gathered upstairs for tea and TV time.
"Who cares? Let him deal with the cat for a day. See if that doesn't fix his personality." Ragna muttered drinking up as he and Ryuga watched TV.
"Besides this way, he's not blowing things up and making us listen to him sing in math...somehow." Ryuga muttered.
"I still don't get how he does that…" Ragna mumbled, "...but hey. Least we can finally relax without being called dumbasses."
"Agreed!" Ryuga smiled, "Ah...hey Noel!" he spoke up suddenly spooking her, "You and Sento said you found some info on that Nabeshima guy."
"OH! H-hai…" Noel nodded.
"Well spill, girl. What did you find out?"
"That's not how you talk to a girl!" Makoto accented her complaint by slapping him upside the head.
"Gomen-nasai." Ryuga quickly bowed his head.
"Better," Makoto grinned before looking back at Noel, "But yeah. What did you find out exactly, Noellie?"
"Oh…" she nodded, getting over that bit as she put down the files, "From what Sento told me to look for, I found that his files from the time as a guard at the prison was all false information." she revealed as everyone looked over the file, "Nabeshima isn't from Toto, but Seito. He has a family there. He suddenly came to Toto for work, and since then has been bounced around jobs and each time under false information. He worked at places where he came across Kasumi and you Ryuga. It would appear he has been...following you for a while."
"Eh?" Ryuga blinked.
"Nabeshima's information is scarce, but chances are he knows the people who did this to you and Sento." Noel went on, "We have his phone number as well. But Sento thinks we should wait to call him. If we just call him now, he could run to his boss and we'll never find him again."
"Ahh...good idea," Makoto nodded.
"Dang...so close but so far…" Ryuga mumbled "So what's his plan?"
"Sento will build a device to trace his cell down so when we call him once, we'll track him as he runs to his boss or his current location." Noel explained.
"Well we can count on him for that at least." Ragna muttered, "An ass yeah, but damn if he can't make a lot of useful shit."
"Like the 3D printer?" Makoto guessed.
"Yup…"
"Great, so now we do need him." Ryuga grumbled, "Wonder how long he'll take."
"AH! Stop this crazy cat!" Sento cried while being dragged around.
"Don't worry, Spiky Hair guy! We're almost there, nya!" Tao beamed as she dragged him around town.
"You've been saying that for ten minutes now!" Sento complained, "I'm starting to think you're lost!"
"No I'm not! Taokaka knows exactly where Boobie Lady's place is!" Tao argued before sniffing the air a bit, "Ohh! She's right past there!"
"Hmm?" Sento blinked as he looked over...before paling a bit to see that the 'path' Tao mentioned was through a cactus store, "Oh hell no!" he spoke taking out, two bottles.
=RABBIT! SOUJIKI!=
"Not doing that!" Build spoke, raising the vacuum as he began sucking up the cacti in their way, "Not falling for that old drag you through painful place bit."
"Nya?!" Tao gawked, seeing that, "How's Spiky guy doing that, nya?!"
"Build...Build." he explained simply, "Ore wa Kamen Rider Build, Seigi no hero! Ai no Senshi! Tensai no...Build!" he exclaimed proudly, "Any of that sinking in?" he asked, getting a simple nod of no, "Yeah I thought not...ugh...Spiky Guy is also Kamen Rider Guy, and I use these bottles to save people from bad monsters."
"...Oh! Tao gets it!"
"Finally. Y…"
"Spikey Hair guy becomes Buildy guy to fight monsters, nya!"
"Close enough…" he groaned scratching the back of his helmet with his normal hand, "Lead the way so we can get you some snacks." he sighed motioning to the cleared path.
"OKAY!" Tao beamed before dragging him along once more.
"GOD DAMN IT!" Build snapped as he was dragged along once more, "How's Ragna even still sane after dealing with you?!"
"Tao's never met Rargnya!"
"I was refer...oh forget it!" Build facepalmed, "Just tell me when we get there…" he grumbled thankful his armor reduced the complaint of whiplash from being dragged around.
"We're here, nya!"
"Seriously?!" Build snapped as he turned, seeing a fair medium-sized building with a Chinese motif, "...I detect medicine….this Boobie Lady isn't a doctor, is she?"
"Yup! She takes care of Tao and the rest of the kitties down in Kaka village when we're sick or hurt, nya!" Tao beamed.
"So...a doctor makes the best meat buns you've ever had...I'm starting to wonder if the ones she give you are filled with some kind of ADHD medicine…" Build muttered bluntly and outloud. He undid his armor as he knocked on the door while grabbing Tao by the scruff of her hood to keep her from walking off, "Ano…" he walked in, dragging Tao who didn't seem to mind the action, "Excuse me!" he called out, "This might seem very odd...but I am here with a woman named Tao...she says she knows someone here."
"...Hold on," a voice answered before clearing her throat a bit, "Miss Litchi, Tao's here again!"
"Oh dear...coming!" another voice pondered.
"Okay...listen, I…" Sento began as the door opened up, "..."
Standing there was a young woman with long black hair tied into a bun and pink eyes behind her glasses. She wore a stylish chinese doctor uniform with long white-sleeves, a yin and yang brooch ribbon, and a skirt dress that exposed her thighs. One thing Sento took noticed was how...well developed she was, especially around the chest area.
'...okay. NOW I see why this hyperactive cat calls her Boobie Lady…' Sento thought
"Boobie Lady!" Tao cheered.
"She actually calls you that outloud?!" Sento gawked.
"...Yes…" the woman sighed a bit before giving a small, motherly smile, "You must be hungry, Tao. Why don't you come in? I just finished making some meat buns."
"?! MEAT BUNS!" Tao beamed as she blurred inside.
"Oi! Tao...Tao, you still have my stuff!" Sento called out following her inside best he could, "Taku…" he complained.
"...Tao…" the woman began with a frown.
"Gh?!" Tao's voice tensed at that as she slowly and cautiously returned, "Nyes?"
"Give this young man his belongings back...now." she motioned to a confused Sento who was still processing how that worked at all.
"B…"
"Now Tao, or else no Meat Buns for a month."
"?!" Tao's eyes widened at that before unzipping her coat a bit and let all of Sento's bottles fall out...and some fish bones...and some still wrapped snack cakes...and almost an entire fridge's worth of food.
"Master's snack cakes...why did she take them and not eat them?" Sento mumbled collecting his bottles as he stored them in a series of holsters inside of his jacket, "Well...I did say I'd pay...not sure that's exactly necessary...but my word is solid."
"Hmm? Oh no no. They're free."
"...what?"
"I usually give some to my patients if they're feeling hungry...or if Tao comes over."
"You mean….she dragged me HALFWAY across town...for free Meat Buns she could get...ANYTIME?" Sento muttered through gritted teeth, his eye twitched violently, "Somehow this feels like some kind of karma for how I treat the muscle heads." he grumbled, before seeing something else she had taken, it was an unfinished small handheld gun device, "She even stole my prototype Gattlinger…" he grumbled storing it in his jacket.
"Your what?"
"Nothing!" Sento quickly answered before wincing a bit.
"...You okay?"
"Yeah...just a cut is all."
"...Inside. Now."
"Eh?" he blinked confused.
"I need to examine you to make sure it's nothing serious," the woman stated.
"I just said it was a cut."
"No. If it was, there would be a bit of blood or slight irritation being noticable," the woman explained, "The way you winced makes me think there's some pain around your back, specifically around your lower spine."
"That's…" Sento paused before touching his lower back, wincing a bit, '...holy crap she's right.' his eyes widened, "I...I guess you got me there…" he muttered in shock.
"Yes, so please come on in."
"...Think Tao's driven Sento insane yet?" Ryuga asked.
"That or dragged him into a place and left him there." Ragna muttered as Isurugi served cold Soba noodles for them to eat, "Thanks Master." he smirked taking his food.
"Ah…" Ryuga smiled taking his chopsticks and dipping the noodles in zaruji before slurping them up.
"Oi Ryuga, don't hog the zaruji!" Makoto complained.
"Make me! Ah! No, I was kidding!" he complained as Makoto began shaking him violently, "Ack! Help! Mad squirrel girl!"
"Thank you." Noel spoke up, taking the soy sauce from Ryuga to eat her own noodles.
"Ah…" they both blinked, realizing they lost.
"Haha…" Ragna laughed, "Oi, Noel, I'm next." he politely said as he took a sip of his tea.
"You kids sure are homey here, huh?" Isurugi muttered, serving himself and having his own cup of zaruji all to himself.
"What can I say? It's pretty homey here…" Ragna admitted, '...Probably the only place I've been able to relax in a long time...'
"I don't know how but this coffee shop makes a nice little hang out." Makoto muttered, "Might be the severe lack of customers~" she joked
"Ahahahaha...yes-yes very funny, Mako-chan…" Isurugi laughed before sticking his tongue out as she turned away, "Dang kids…"
"Heard that~"
"Gh?!" Isurugi tensed.
"Again, these aren't fake," Makoto smirked as she pointed to her ears.
"It's like my ex all over again…" Isurugi grumbled to himself letting his head hit the counter, in his moment of weakness Ryuga walked over and stole his cup of zaruji, "Ah!"
"Get!" Ryuga cheered, bringing it back to their table.
"These kids are gonna be the death of me…"
"This is awkward...Amnesia makes it feel like my first time at a doctors ever." Sento mumbled while walking around shirtless, his coat and shirt hanging on a rack, "I wonder if this is how kids feel...Moral questions for if I ever bother trying to live a normal life."
'Amnesia...oh dear. I may need to examine him further…' the woman thought as she walked in, "Please lay down on your front."
"...okay," Sento nodded as he laid on the rack, "Now what?"
"Just relax," the woman advised.
"...By the way, I never did get your name, miss…?"
"Faye Ling. Litchi Faye Ling."
"Kiryu Sento." he replied, "So do I just lay here or something?" he asked while looking at his BuildPhone as a text came up, "Sounds simple."
"Hmm...you seemed to have pulled something," Litchi noted as she looked at Sento's back, "...You don't work out daily, do you?"
'Try dealing with monsters…' Sento mentally snarked, "Lets just say...I deal with a very physically demanding problem on a near weekly basis. Odd given you'd think a scientist wouldn't do that."
"I see…" Litchi noted as she took a deep breath, gently placing her hands on his back, "This might pinch a little."
"I'm sorry wh-?" Sento began before Litchi's hands pressed roughly, yet gently into his lower back, "GH?!" 'Holy hell that hur….no wait...that...oh, that actually feels good…' he mentally sighed in bliss, 'The pain must have come from fighting that bat guy and then holding up a storm of diamonds...I'm not sure how she did that...but I ain't gonna waste the brain power on figuring it out...just enjoy ore…'
"Hmm...looks like you pulled something else…" Litchi noted, feeling a few tensed up areas around his arm, "May I?"
"As long as it makes me f-" Sento began before Litchi pulled his arm, "Ohhh! Oh, that feels painful and good at the same time…" he muttered, "Ah...now I'm worried what kind of person I used to be…" he admitted, "I think I'm learning things about myself I never knew...like apparently I get sore a lot."
"That explains all the pent up stress," Litchi noted.
"No that's my two meathead roommates…" Sento muttered, "I can't write down a formula without them erasing it in order to play Pictionary…." he grumbled, "...Actually can you get my head? I need to get rid of this migraine…"
"...Hold still," Litchi advised as she began to message his temples.
"Oh...oh that feels g-oh and there's the stress relief!" Sento sighed out in pure bliss, 'Oh...oh this is amazing...why didn't I know about this woman sooner?!'
'Hmm...There doesn't seem to be any head trauma…' Litchi mentally noted ashe carefully and gently massaged his head, 'Perhaps the side-effect of a drug? No no...what could've happened to him?'
"We almost done? If so...please, no. I'm..enjoying myself…"
"Almost. You also need to take some medicine for your stress," Litchi advised, "I have some special herbs for a tea that will help with that, and some cream that will help reduce the stress on your back."
"Thanks…" he mumbled, upset it was over, "Well I suppose relaxation is hard to find in this world…one last question."
"Hmm?"
"Do you have any more of those meat buns..hopefully any that Tao hasn't eaten?"
"...I always keep a spare just in case."
'...best day ever...no way anything can run this.'
"I was wrong!" Sento cried, returning home to see Ryuga struggling to keep the phone away from the others.
"I'm calling Nabeshima!" Ryuga complained.
"We said we need to track him!" Makoto shouted.
"Hand over the phone, Ryuga!" Ragna complained.
"I'm tired of waiting!" Ryuga shouted as the phone was yanked from his hand by Sento.
"Ah?" the three blinked, falling over to the floor unceremoniously.
"Amazing...I came back feeling relaxed...and walk in on the comedy stylings of Dumb, Dumber and Miss Fan-service."
"He means you," Dumb and Dumber spoke to Makoto.
"Says Dumb and Dumber," Makoto countered.
"OI!"
"Ugh...you idiots are gonna be the death of me." he grumbled, sticking a device to the back of the phone, "Here...this will track Nabeshima's cell phone after you call it." he explained, "Try not to break it or you'll lose him forever and never solve this case." he spoke, unpacking some of the stuff he brought, "No Pressure."
"YOU PUT ALL THE PRESSURE!" Ryuga complained.
"Can't talk. Trying to relax…" Sento waved off, taking out a meat bun as he took a bite of it, "Ah. Here, Noel, I brought you one too. And...one for you three." he muttered, tossing them all one, "Master gets two!"
"Ah!" Isurugi cheers, happily jumping back into the room, "Wait..where did you get them?"
"Litchi Faye Ling, or as that hyperactive catgirl called her, Boobie Lady." he muttered through the bun in his mouth, "She makes a dang good meatbun." he spoke, "I use to have two for everyone...but they were too good. Oh no wait. I saved Noel's extra one."
"Oh come on!" Ryuga and Ragna snapped.
"Bite me, idiot 1 and idiot 2." Sento countered.
"Neh...Noel, you'll share right?" Makoto asked with pleading puppy dog eyes.
"...A...ano...well…" Noel muttered.
"Please~? I'll let you hug my tail~"
"Oh please. Like anyone's gonna fall for…" Sento began.
"HAI~!" Noel beamed as she handed Makoto half of her meatbun before glomping Makoto's tail.
"I will never understand women…" Sento muttered bluntly. He then held his phone up, "Well good luck to you."
"Wait...where are you going?" Ryuga asked.
"Smash detected." he spoke, "I'm not a detective, so good luck with the mystery. Maybe you'll take in a talking great dane." he chuckled.
"Hey wait...what's the deal? I thought you were helping us out." Ryuga spoke up, 'Don't you want your memories back?"
"This and that are two different things." Sento explained.
"Oi...the savior Build or your own past. Which one matters more to you?" Ryuga demanded.
"That's easy. Build of course." he smiled.
"Man...what's up with that guy…?" Ryuga muttered after Sento had left them all behind to go off and hunt down a Smash, "First he's thinking of plans for us, but when it comes time to play super hero he ditches us…"
"Yeah...wouldn't be the first time…" Ragna muttered, "It's like he enjoys keeping up his hero act more…"
"Are you two done crying like little girls?" Makoto asked, "We've been waiting for you to call Nabeshima for ten minutes. Are you gonna complain or man up already?"
"Sh-shut up!" they both complained.
"Immaturity...the sign youth is wasted on the young." Isurugi sighed.
"Agreed, especially on muscleheads like them," Makoto agreed.
"OI!"
"Just call already."
"Fine...oi...wait...Where'd Noel go?"
"Wow...you just now noticed she left? What an attentive man you are." Makoto spoke sarcastically.
"...That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"
"No. I'm complimenting you."
"That was Sarcasm!" Ryuga smiled.
"Master...would I get in trouble if I bashed his head in with this bench?" Makoto asked.
"Young lady, this place is insured out the wazoo! All you'd do is make me money!" Isurugi laughed.
"Damn it, old man! Don't encourage the half-breed!...that came out wrong."
"...So is a giant energy fist smashing your wall good, Isurugi-san?"
"Of co-wait, what?"
"Calling! Calling!" Ryuga shouted, dialing the number, "No need for nothin'!" he spoke quickly.
"Dial, man! Dial!" Ragna hissed.
"What do you think I'm doing, knitting?!" Ryuga hissed back.
"Mako-chan...you scary." Isurugi muttered.
"So long as you don't say anything racial towards Beastkin...yes. Yes I am," Makoto grinned a bit.
"Wah...and I thought my ex wife was wicked…"
"Hey!"
"Ryuga said it!"
"No I didn't!" Ryuga shouted as he put the phone to his ear.
"Yes you did. I…"
=Hello?=
"Nabeshima!?" Ryuga snapped, hearing the voice on the other end.
=Who is this?=
"Banjou Ryuga...remember me?" Ryuga spoke simply. "Where are you? You're going to prove my innocence right now!"
Nabeshima held the phone to his ear as he listened to Ryuga shout over the line and several voices in the background trying to calm him down. He sighed as Night Rogue stood directly behind him listening in via wire tap. The armored man chuckled softly so he wouldn't be heard over the line.
"I can't do that." Nabeshima finally spoke as Night Rogue nodded as he was guiding Nabeshima's answers.
=WHAT?!=
"They'll go after my wife and daughter." he spoke.
=If I do that, they'll kill my family. I'm sorry but they matter more to me then your innocence. So as long as Faust has that over my head, I can't betray them.=
"So...if I save your family then you'll testify?" Ryuga asked, getting the others attention, "As long as Faust has them under the threat if you do anything, they'll hurt them so you can't do anything. So what if I get them somewhere safe?"
=How?=
"Dunno…" he spoke as everyone else in the room facefaulted.
=So tell me where they are= Ryuga added, =We can get them=
"Seito."
=SEITO!?=
=Idiot! We told you he was from there!= Makoto's voice shouted as a loud slap was heard.
"They live in Seito's 6th district." Nabeshima added, "If you really can save my family...then I'll testify for you...but only after they are safe." he spoke hanging up, he then turned to Night Rogue, "That's enough, right? Now they'll walk into your trap...that's it, right? Now let my family go!"
"Hahaha...okay. But...your work isn't done yet, Nabeshima-san." he laughed walking towards him, "We still have a prosperous business relationship to go." he laughed.
"Baka!" Everyone shouted as Makoto dope slapped Ryuga so hard, his face hit the floor.
"How do you plan to cross the wall genius!?" Ragna snapped, "The only holes in it are guarded roads with NOL guard positioned their 24-7!"
"I...hadn't thought of that…" his muffled voice spoke through the floor.
"Oh my god…" Ragna facepalmed.
"Great~! Just great! You promised the only guy who can save your hide you'd do something impossible!" Makoto added on to the pick on Ryuga conversation.
"Well…" Isurugi spoke up as all three shot up and stared at him.
"Spill it!"
"There are...other gaps in the wall." he explained after a moment, "See, people have been discovering Skyroads for years. They have been using them to smuggle families across the wall to escape persecution, chase, and sometimes just to find better work to support their families." he went on, "And like with anything, there are people who know how to smuggle you across those gaps in the wall. One such group of people are masters of this trade." he lectured them as he poured himself some coffee, "So...they could help you get across...provided you can prove yourselves worthy of their assistance."
"Master...how do you know this stuff?" Ragna asked.
"Hehe…" he smirked, "Listen well, boys...it pays to have drinking buddies who spill lots of secrets. And a few tricks to remain sober enough to collect their secrets and use as blackmail for later dates."
"...Clever…" Makoto grinned at that.
"Well I have been the one helping Sento fight monsters and Faust for a year...until we adopted Ragna and had an extra means of beating shit up." he chuckled.
"Quick question?" Makoto raised her hand, "Are we gonna need Sento to make this work...because he's the smart one?"
"...Most likely."
"Ugh…" Ragna and Ryuga complained.
"Get back here!" Build shouted, driving after a flying Smash. It had an orange body with its arms acting as large bladed wings, its head had a wide brim hat like extension of armor adding to its aerodynamics and a singular eye made up of multiple rings. The Smash had been tearing up this portion of town chasing after a boy before Build found it and began chasing it.
"Sento!" Noel called out as Build drove through a pile of trash cans, "Nevermind…"
"Ha!" Build shouted using his rabbit leg to jump and grab the Smash, "Got ya!" Build then used the added weight of his body to bring the Smash down to the ground, sending them both tumbling along the ground.
Build flipped to his feet as he charged and punched the Smash with his rabbit arm repeatedly, making it stumble back. He then summoned his DrillCrusher as he swung it and and struck the Smash across the chest several times making it stumble back. He then thrust forward as the Smash tried to fly away and hit its back knocking it back down. Build then pulled out two bottles as he slotted them in.
=Gorilla! Soujiki! Are you Ready?=
Build let the two new armor lock on over him. He raised his vacuum arm up and began sucking in air and the vacuum force kept it from flying away. Noel grabbed the boy who was being chased by the Smash to keep him from being sucked into the vacuum winds. The Smash grunted unable to fly away as it was dragged in closer and closer. Build raised his gorilla arm to strike the Smash before he heard a noise.
"Nya!"
"Eh?!" Build gawked turning off the vacuum before he caught, "Tao?!" he gawked, "Where did you come from?!"
"I don't knyow…" she spoke as Build turned around as the Smash slapped him.
"Seriously?!" Build gawked while falling over to the ground. He then grunted as Tao landed on him again, "Why are you here…? I thought I got rid of you… What? Are you following me?"
"I think she's taking a liking to you," Noel spoke.
"Don't treat her like a real cat!" Build snapped.
"Nya? Hey, Buildy Guy? What's the weird bird guy over there?" Tao asked, pointing at the Smash.
"A Smash…" he grumbled as he grabbed Tao and moved her aside as he used the vacuum to drag the Smash over towards him; he reared his fist back to punch it then twisted his hand as the piston on his gauntlet extended out before punching his hand and hitting the Smash, sending it flying away...only to quickly be dragged back by the vacuum, "A person who's been turned into a monster...Now if you would please leave me be so I can…" he blinked as Tao was now hanging onto his gorilla arm like a swing.
"Whoo~!"
"Oi...get off me!" Build complained while shaking her around; he then turned around as the Smash smacked him with its wing, "AH! Again, really?!"
"Nya~ho!" Tao laughed as they slid across the ground.
"Saiyakuda…" Build grunted pulling out the diamond bottle with his gorilla gauntlet somehow.
=BEST MATCH!=
"Build Up!" Build shouted as the spruces formed again, the gorilla section was clear as diamonds armor formed behind him, both sections slammed on as steam escaped from the armor.
=Kagayaki no Destroyer! GorillaMond!=
"Make yourself useful!" Build growled grabbing Tao and lifting her up, "Go get the birdy!" he shouted tossing her at the Smash.
"BIRDY?!" Tao beamed, drooling as she flew towards the Smash.
The Smash was about to smack her away...only to pale upon seeing the razor sharp cat claws that popped out of her paw-shaped sleeves as she tackled it and began nibbling on it.
"...Where….was she hiding those?" Build slowly blinked behind his helmet, seeing Tao's claws tear into the Smash while she nibbled on it.
"I...don't know." Noel muttered as she and the boy next to her just tilted their head in confusion.
"Well...she's become useful." Build noted as Tao kept the Smash from flying away anymore. He quickly spun the lever of his belt as he raised his diamond hand and slapped the ground; the dust and dirt on the road began to lift up with his hand as he formed a spire made of pure diamonds. He then slammed his Gorilla gauntlet into his hand as the piston extended out.
"Bleck! Birdy taste weird," Tao gagged as she hopped off the Smash at the last second.
=VOTEX FINISH!=
"Tao go play hide-n-seek!" Build shouted as he reared back his glowing gorilla gauntlet.
"Kay, nya!" Tao beamed as she ran off.
The Smash turned around just as Build punched the diamond spite sending sharde of the gemstone flying and tearing through the Smash's body armor until it exploded in green flames. The Smash fell and skid across the ground with a defeated groan. Build sighed walking up as he held a capture bottle and sucked up the Smash essence leaving behind a dazed and very confused woman dressed in white robes.
"Okasan!" the boy shouted seeing who the woman was as he rushed over to her.
"Just in time…" Build whispered as he walked past Noel, "Come on. Let's leave before the NOL shows up."
"Ano…" Noel spoke as Build looked around to see people had been watching and recording the fight.
"Uso?!" Build spoke in shock.
"They've….been watching for a while…"
"Since when?!"
"...Since the Smash appeared," Noel slumped.
"...ah...ah!" he bopped his fist into his hand, "Play along." he whispered, "Ah! NOL agent! You won't capture me!" he shouted, grabbing Tao and running.
"...Oh...oh!" Noel gasped in realization, "M-matte! Y..you won't…"
"Tao is confused. Why is lacking lady trying to chase us?" Tao blinked.
"?!...L...lacking...Lady…?" Noel slowly whispered.
"AH! RUN FOR REAL!" Build freaked, reverting to RabbitTank and running off as fast as his legs could carry him and Tao.
"Freeze!" Noel shouted as she chased after them, her guns out as she fired at them, "You're under arrest for disturbing the peace!"
"How's referring to your chest size disturbing the p-and I just made it worse…" Build groaned before tensing, "NOT THE ROCKET LAUNCHER!"
"Nya!" Tao cheered as explosions rocked the street.
"You hear that?" Ryuga spoke as the building shook slightly.
"I feel that." Isurugi cringed.
"...Someone must've said something about Noel's….you know what," Makoto trailed off.
"You mean her lack of-" Ryuga began before ducking under an acorn tossed at him, the acorn leaving a small hole in the wall, "Ha! Missed, Beast Girl!"
"..."
"And you just made it worse…" Ragna groaned as Isurugi quickly ducked behind the counter.
"Huh? Wh-"
"Big Bang…"
"..." Ryuga slowly turned to see Makoto reeling her fist back, a large energy gate behind her, "...Oh f-"
"SMASH!" Makoto roared as she punched forward, sending out a giant energy fist at him.
"Ah...ah…" Build gasped for air as he made it back to home base, only to stop and see a hole break through the roof, "Son of a prime integer…"
"FREZE!"
"Complain later! Hide now!" Build freaked as he ran in, running past Ryuga and Ragna as they were buried in the wall..of the building next door, "I blame you idiots!"
"That's...fair…" they groaned.
"Why are you running?" Isurugi asked.
"Tao did it!" he cried, sliding into the fridge door and closing it behind him.
"...Do I even w-" Isurugi began before a gunshot was heard, "...On second thought, nope….nope...so much nope!" he freaked, grabbing a bullet proof vest and a helmet as he ran out, "To the bomb shelter!"
"...Noellie, you can hug my tail!" Makoto called out before the blonde rushed in, smiling as she hugged the squirrel girl's tail.
"...HOW?!" Ryuga, Ragna, Sento, and Isurugi exclaimed in unison.
"Never underestimate the power of a fluffy tail," Makoto smirked.
"Questions for later…" Sento groaned ducking back into his lab.
"Haha!" Isurugi laughed on the phone, "Thanks to Mako-chan, Master's gonna make it rain!" he cheered, "Insurance on stupid! And you thought I'd never need it Ragna!" he gloated to the boys stuck in the wall.
"Ugh…" Ragna groaned, "My freakin' back...why'd you have to anger her, Ryuga?!"
"How was I supposed to know she could literally punch out a GIANT energy fist?!" Ryuga argued before wincing, "Ahh..I think she bruised a few ribs…"
"Don't expect me to call a doctor," Isurugi stated, "You boys dug your own grave."
"Screw you, old man!"
"Just for that, y-" Isurugi began before a knock was heard, "Oh! A customer...coming~!"
"Eh? Who could it be at this time?" makoto pondered, noticing how dark it got out.
"Who cares? A customer's a custo-" Isurugi began as he opened the door, "..."
"Hello," Litchi greeted, "I'm...here to give a Sento Kiryu his medicine. He forgot it at my clinic."
"...Excuse me for a moment," Isurugi said as he carefully closed the door, "...I am jealous."
"Eh?"
"I am so jealous of Sento right now because...because…Did you NOT see her?!" Isurugi snapped at the two men in the room, "That...that is pure Orient Town beauty right there!"
"Someone here for me?" Sento asked popping out of the upper freezer part of the mini-fridge.
"Just...a beautiful and...really well developed Orient Town woman," Isurugi answered.
"Oh? Dr. Faye Ling?" Sento blinked, "Ah that's right. I forgot the medicine she suggested." he chuckled crawling out and over to the door.
"...Faye Ling...as in...Litchi...Faye….Ling?"
"That's right."
"...Jealous. There is no limit of the amount of jealousy I am feeling right now," Isurugi slumped as he went into a corner, a depressing aura around him.
"Master?" he blinked, opening the door, "I thought you'd be more happy. You just scored a huge insurance check thanks to Makoto…"
"I was before I found out the doctor you mentioned was one of the world's most beautiful women next to the late Konoe Mercury!" Isurugi snapped.
"Eh...there's an actual list?" Sento blinked shocked, "Gomen...Master has been known to be...eccentric." he chuckled.
"Urusei!" he snapped.
"There there…" Makoto patted his back.
"Why gods...what did I do to deserve this?" Isurugi sobbed.
"...It's fine," Litchi slowly blinked as she handed him a small bag, "I've...gotten a few patients that're like that in a way."
"Anyway, thanks for bringing this over." Sento chuckled, "Sorry for the state of things...these are the two...knucklehead...roommates…" he slowly said as he realized Ryuga was out in plain sight right now...and Ragna.
"...Raging Dragon Ryuga and Ragna the Bloodedge?" Litchi whispered with wide eyes.
"Wait, that's what people call me?! THAT'S METAL AS HELL!" Ryuga cheered before wincing, "Ahh...ahh...bad idea…"
"...idiots...every last one of them…" Sento groaned before Litchi walked past him, "Eh?"
"Do you have a table I can use?" Litchi asked, "I need to examine them for any injuries."
"Eh?! But…"
"They may be criminals, but I can't stand by to see someone in pain," Litchi informed as she helped them off the wall, "You two, take your shirts off and lay down please." She then looked over at Isurugi, "You."
"Hmm?"
"Please take a seat. I may have something for that neck pain of yours and bad back."
"Thanks…" Ryuga and Isurugi nodded, Isurugi smiling to much.
"Master...you're being obvious." Makoto spoke.
"Don't ruin this for me, Mako-chan!" Isurugi hissed, "Besides, I've been meaning to see someone about my neck and back anyways."
"Eh? You mean…?"
"Now."
"Coming, Faye Ling-san~!" Isurugi sang as he ran over to a nearby chair.
'This...has been a really odd day…' Sento thought with a sweatdrop, 'First I've dealt with a hyperactive cat girl, then met an amazing doctor, then came home to some craziness...and ended it with being chased by an angry Noel and seeing a huge hole in the wall…least it's over...'
"...And you are sure?" a shaded figure
"Hai, boss. We spotted the wanted criminal Build near Dr. Faye Ling's clinic," a ninja in dark blue garbs replied, "Shall we track him?"
"Iie...I shall encounter him myself," the figure answered before growling a bit, "He may be an enemy to the Library...but any criminal who dares threaten Miss Litchi shall be punished! You hear me, Masked warrior Build! I, Bang Shishigami, will defeat you and prove who's the true warrior of justice!"
SZ:...oh this is gonna be fun~
Z0: You have no idea...oh the funnies just write themselves people.
SZ: Oh ho yes~! In fact...preview time!
Jikai, Blazbuild!
Ryuga: Uh...Sento? Some loud ninja is calling out your name.
Sento: Wait what?
?: Masked warrior Build! Show yourself and fight me, coward!
Ragna: Damn it...not this idiot…
Sento: Ah mou...why does this have to happen in the middle of my Best Match calculation?
Ryuga: Forget him! We need to get to Seito to rescue Nabeshima's family!
Isurugi: Would now be a bad time to mention that the guy who happens to know the secret passage to Seito...is said loud ninja?
Sento, Ryuga, Ragna: WHAT?!
Makoto: Hahaha! Now you have to deal with him.
Entry 4: The Ninja of Justice!
?: Bang Shishigami...sanjou!
Sento: Oh I'm already getting a headache from this guy!
Z0: Oh why do these characters just interact so well?
SZ: I know right?!
Z0: But that's what's really fun about it though.
SZ: Yup. Who knew both Build and Blazblue would blend so well together?
Z0: I know. It turned out more fun than expected.
SZ: Mm hmm. Anyway, we hope you've enjoyed this chapter, because...well, tell them Z0. Tell them about our little planned break from toku-related stories.
Z0: Oh yeah don't worry its not some big long thing, it's just a little break a few weeks at worst. We just want to branch out and try some none Tokusatsu stuff for a bit. But once that break is over we'll be right back here for this epicness.
SZ: Mmm hmm. Besides, there's other stories we need to get back to and update...such as Omniverse Shift for me.
Z0: That's right so for now folks this is your writers signing off, be sure to enjoy and be patient for the next chapter of our story.
SZ: Hai. So until then...we are Seanzilla115 and Kamen Rider ZER0 of team X-over, signing off.
